INTRODUCTION
Rate of data throughput of any memory management system is limited by the number of steps of copying data in and from a system memory residing on a data bus which may be on a network of processors. One aspect of this invention implements transmit and receive descriptors that optimize data processing efficiency of a system memory comprising at least two distinct memories. Data having different levels of priority or other characteristic is received from the bus to be stored in the memory or gathered from the memory to be transmitted. The system memory may comprise node and host memories of a local or wide area network.
By way of example, the invention will be taught within the environment of a fiber distributed data interface (FDDI), described in the copending applications identified hereinabove; however as the principles taught herein are more applicable broadly to memory management systems, the invention is not to be limited to the environment described hereinafter.